Royals roll out the pomp for Trump’s second state go to : NPR

WINDSOR, England / LONDON – President Trump and first girl Melania Trump visited the royal household at Windsor Fortress on Wednesday for a state go to the British authorities is utilizing to attempt to bolster the commerce and safety relationship between the 2 international locations.

Trump and King Charles capped off the day with toasts at an opulent state banquet with 160 visitors. Earlier, Prince William and Princess Catherine greeted the president and first girl, becoming a member of them on a procession across the Windsor Fortress grounds that includes dozens of horses and gilded carriages.

King Charles III and President Trump within the Irish State Coach at Windsor Fortress on September 17, 2025 in Windsor, England.

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Chris Jackson/Getty Photographs

The spectacle got here forward of a day to be spent dealing with coverage issues, however the two elements of the journey go hand in hand because the British authorities leverages Trump’s admiration for the monarchy because it tries to affect him on coverage round subjects together with commerce and Ukraine.

Trump has lengthy been fascinated by the royal household, telling interviewers over time how his mom beloved Queen Elizabeth.

Earlier this yr, when Trump met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland, he referred to as King Charles “an important man — an important particular person” and stated he seemed ahead to the state go to. “I hate to say, however no person does it such as you folks when it comes to the pomp and ceremony,” Trump stated.

The king gave Trump the Union flag that flew above Buckingham Palace on the day of Trump’s second inauguration. Trump gave the king a duplicate of a President Eisenhower sword, harkening to the U.S.-U.Ok. partnership throughout World Warfare II.

King Charles III and President Trump examine the Guard of Honor in the course of the state go to at Windsor Fortress on September 17, 2025.

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The royals toured the Trumps via a particular show of historic objects from the Royal Assortment, together with a 1774 letter from King George III concerning the insurrection within the American colonies, and an 1862 letter from President Abraham Lincoln to Queen Victoria after the loss of life of her husband, Prince Albert.

In speeches on the state banquet Wednesday evening, the king emphasised the lengthy partnership between the 2 nations.

“I can’t assist however marvel what our forebears from 1776 would make of this friendship right this moment,” he stated. “We rejoice a relationship between our two international locations that certainly neither Washington nor King George III might presumably have imagined. The ocean should divide us, however in so many different methods we at the moment are the closest of kin.”

President Trump delivers a speech in the course of the state banquet at Windsor Fortress.

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Trump additionally addressed the 2 international locations’ closeness but additionally spoke at size about his admiration for the royal household, including that he thought-about the go to “really one of many highest honors of my life.”

He additionally slipped right into a extra acquainted register for a part of the speech, implying that he had saved the USA after the Biden period. “We had a really sick nation one yr in the past and right this moment, I consider we are the hottest nation anyplace on the planet. In actual fact, no person’s even questioning it, however we owe a lot of that to you and the footing that you simply gave us once we began.”

Queen Camilla and first girl Melania Trump attend the state banquet at Windsor Fortress on September 17, 2025. Additionally pictured: Paula Reynolds and Prince William, Prince of Wales.

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On Thursday, Trump is slated to move to Chequers, the prime minister’s nation residence, to fulfill with Starmer. They’re anticipated to signal what the international locations are calling a Tech Prosperity Deal. The U.Ok. authorities introduced that a number of U.S.-based tech corporations, together with NVIDIA, Microsoft and Google, can be investing greater than $40 billion within the U.Ok.

The leaders are anticipated to speak about Russia-Ukraine coverage. There was no motion on a peace deal since Starmer and different European leaders visited the White Home earlier this yr to strain Trump to help Ukraine extra. In current days, Trump has stated that it is as much as NATO allies to first cease shopping for Russian oil.

Not everyone seems to be giving Trump a heat welcome. Protests started even earlier than Trump arrived within the U.Ok. and polls present greater than 60% of Britons have an unfavorable view of Trump.

Earlier this week, on the garden exterior Windsor Fortress, protesters unfurled an enormous picture of Trump and the late Jeffrey Epstein, the financier and intercourse offender. 4 folks had been arrested after movies of Trump and Epstein had been projected onto the outer partitions of Windsor Fortress. Demonstrators had been additionally anticipated to march in Windsor and London.

Lynn Iliffe drove to Windsor from the English Midlands to protest President Trump’s go to. “I simply really feel actually indignant about so most of the issues he does,” she informed NPR.

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Lynn Iliffe, a retired Nationwide Well being Service employee, drove to Windsor from the English Midlands with a giant protest signal within the blue and yellow colours of the Ukrainian flag.

“I’ve by no means been to an illustration in my life earlier than, however I felt so strongly that I felt I wanted to come back down and present my dislike for Mr. Trump,” Iliffe informed NPR, describing how she felt throughout Trump’s contentious assembly with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy within the Oval Workplace earlier this yr.

“I simply really feel actually indignant about so most of the issues he does — his lies, his craze for energy, and the best way he is handled everyone actually world wide,” she stated.

However Alana Burnett, a university pupil from Windsor, donned a crimson MAGA ballcap, telling NPR she supported Trump’s powerful immigration insurance policies.

“I simply assume he is such an important man, I like his insurance policies and views on issues, and I believe our nation might take just a few notes from him, actually,” Burnett stated.